“Young people today have lots of experience … interacting with new technologies, but a lot less so of creating [or] expressing themselves with new technologies. It's almost as if they can read but not write.” — Mitch Resnick
With the 1:1 iPad implementation, issues related to the need for more robust teacher preparation, additional parent education, and student training became apparent early on. A quick evaluation of what was occurring in classrooms (thru the lens of the SAMR Model: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition), majority use of the devices were found to be far from modification and redefinition. Further, many process inefficiencies were reported in the use of these devices for teaching and learning, contributing to the negative attitudes surrounding the initiative.
As a parent observing teachers, students and fellow parents struggle, a need to investigate ways to positively impact the implementation of this initiative arose. How do I enhance teaching and learning in a 1:1 iPad environment to improve student achievement and engagement?
That is the question that has led me to Pepperdine’s Masters of Arts in Learning Technologies. Immersing myself in the readings and the extensions of those readings and other school work, I soon discovered the flipped learning model. Seeing how it made possible more opportunities for project-based learning in the now available time in class, I was excited to find out if the model can be used in a middle school setting.
RESEARCH DESIGN
My ultimate goal in this Action Research is to enhance teaching and learning in a 1:1 iPad environment of a local public middle school located in the Los Angeles metropolis. Realizing how overarching that goal was, I decided to focus on one teaching pedagogy: the Flipped Learning Model.
The Research Question:
How will the use of the flipped learning model impact student academic performance and engagement in a 7th gr science class with a 1:1 iPad program?
Three action-reflection cycles accompanied this inquiry:
Cycle One: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using existing instructional videos?
Cycle Two: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using an instructional video created by a parent volunteer?
Cycle Three: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using an instructional video created by the students' teacher?
Anticipating that the biggest hurdle in teachers implementing the flipped learning model would be the time required to create the instructional videos, it was important to investigate how using existing ones would affect student academic achievement and engagement levels.
FIELD OF ACTION
The field of action, a middle school of about 1400 students, belongs to a school district located in a city of around 35,000 people inside a 4 mile square area along the Pacific Ocean. The school district serves 7,055 pre-K to 12th grade students across eight schools: one preschool, five elementary schools, one middle and one high school. The district ranks third out of all unified school districts in the state with an API score in 2011 of 932.
This middle school opened in 1998 designed specifically for middle-school age students from 6th to 8th grade. It offers a challenging curriculum to it's 1,400 students with a focus on emotional, physical and intellectual growth in preparation for high school. With a seven period schedule, students may choose to enroll in a variety of electives including Spanish, Mandarin and French, three levels of vocal music, four levels of instrumental music for band and strings, drama and a STEM class. Sixth grade students also have the choice to enroll in an elective wheel, where they can select up to three electives, one per semester.
In applying the School Board's academic focus for 2012-13 school year involving strategies for 21st Century Teaching and Learning, a 1:1 iPad Program was implemented in the middle school. The plan (detailed here) focused mainly on how the device will be acquired, and providing connectivity. A total of 4 hours of student training was planned, and two days of teacher training before school started. Further, the district created a new position for one full time employee to support the iPad program on site. At present, a full time Technology Integration Specialist and a Systems Technician is on campus to assist students and staff.
The local education foundation (MBEF) and the school PTAs heavily support the school district with financial donations of about $5.5 million annually, according to district publications. MBEF grants can be seen here. Parents are actively involved, participating in various levels from PTAs/PTSAs, the School Board, to district committees like Fiscal Advisory, Technology, GATE Advisory, and Bond Oversight. The school district also has developed a strong partnership with the City of Manhattan Beach and local corporations including Chevron and Northrup Grumman.
Over the last three years, I have observed teachers, students and parents struggle with the implementation of the 1:1 iPad Initiative. As a member of the Manhattan Beach Middle School PTA, I plan to explore the use of the flipped learning model in partnership with a teacher friend, Mrs. Tanya Sanchez. I also work with the school Technology Integration Specialist and the Systems Technician.
Mrs. Sanchez agreed to implement the flipped learning model in her classes involving 7th grade students studying Life Science involving a total of 165 students.
As a parent observing teachers, students and fellow parents struggle, a need to investigate ways to positively impact the implementation of this initiative arose. How do I enhance teaching and learning in a 1:1 iPad environment to improve student achievement and engagement?
That is the question that has led me to Pepperdine’s Masters of Arts in Learning Technologies. Immersing myself in the readings and the extensions of those readings and other school work, I soon discovered the flipped learning model. Seeing how it made possible more opportunities for project-based learning in the now available time in class, I was excited to find out if the model can be used in a middle school setting.
RESEARCH DESIGN
My ultimate goal in this Action Research is to enhance teaching and learning in a 1:1 iPad environment of a local public middle school located in the Los Angeles metropolis. Realizing how overarching that goal was, I decided to focus on one teaching pedagogy: the Flipped Learning Model.
The Research Question:
How will the use of the flipped learning model impact student academic performance and engagement in a 7th gr science class with a 1:1 iPad program?
Three action-reflection cycles accompanied this inquiry:
Cycle One: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using existing instructional videos?
Cycle Two: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using an instructional video created by a parent volunteer?
Cycle Three: How does the flipped learning model affect student engagement and academic performance using an instructional video created by the students' teacher?
Anticipating that the biggest hurdle in teachers implementing the flipped learning model would be the time required to create the instructional videos, it was important to investigate how using existing ones would affect student academic achievement and engagement levels.
FIELD OF ACTION
The field of action, a middle school of about 1400 students, belongs to a school district located in a city of around 35,000 people inside a 4 mile square area along the Pacific Ocean. The school district serves 7,055 pre-K to 12th grade students across eight schools: one preschool, five elementary schools, one middle and one high school. The district ranks third out of all unified school districts in the state with an API score in 2011 of 932.
This middle school opened in 1998 designed specifically for middle-school age students from 6th to 8th grade. It offers a challenging curriculum to it's 1,400 students with a focus on emotional, physical and intellectual growth in preparation for high school. With a seven period schedule, students may choose to enroll in a variety of electives including Spanish, Mandarin and French, three levels of vocal music, four levels of instrumental music for band and strings, drama and a STEM class. Sixth grade students also have the choice to enroll in an elective wheel, where they can select up to three electives, one per semester.
In applying the School Board's academic focus for 2012-13 school year involving strategies for 21st Century Teaching and Learning, a 1:1 iPad Program was implemented in the middle school. The plan (detailed here) focused mainly on how the device will be acquired, and providing connectivity. A total of 4 hours of student training was planned, and two days of teacher training before school started. Further, the district created a new position for one full time employee to support the iPad program on site. At present, a full time Technology Integration Specialist and a Systems Technician is on campus to assist students and staff.
The local education foundation (MBEF) and the school PTAs heavily support the school district with financial donations of about $5.5 million annually, according to district publications. MBEF grants can be seen here. Parents are actively involved, participating in various levels from PTAs/PTSAs, the School Board, to district committees like Fiscal Advisory, Technology, GATE Advisory, and Bond Oversight. The school district also has developed a strong partnership with the City of Manhattan Beach and local corporations including Chevron and Northrup Grumman.
Over the last three years, I have observed teachers, students and parents struggle with the implementation of the 1:1 iPad Initiative. As a member of the Manhattan Beach Middle School PTA, I plan to explore the use of the flipped learning model in partnership with a teacher friend, Mrs. Tanya Sanchez. I also work with the school Technology Integration Specialist and the Systems Technician.
Mrs. Sanchez agreed to implement the flipped learning model in her classes involving 7th grade students studying Life Science involving a total of 165 students.
LOGIC MODEL